The Better Way
by Juniper11
Summary: On the day of Black Zero Bruce picks up a grudge and an alien-who wasn't attacking the city.


**A/N**: **The author's response to B vs S  
**

* * *

Bruce barely gave the helicopter a chance to land before he jumped out of it and ran forward. His eyes were on the sky. Buildings burned and smoke wafted up into the gray horizon. A foreign _(alien)_ aircraft floated above them and was the cause of all the chaos. Projectiles fly hitting targets indiscriminately. Bruce eyed this for a moment before he climbed into his car and drove off speedily. The city was falling around him, and he could feel his heart racing in his chest.

_There were so many people in danger, how can he save anyone?_

A yellow light that warned him to slow down flashed before him, and he intended to head straight through it, but at the last moment, he turned because of the explosion that erupted before him. Everywhere he drove there was more and more destruction. Bruce pulled out a phone and dialed automatically.

Jack at Wayne Enterprises in Metropolis answered immediately, "Bruce?"

"Jack. I want you to get everyone out of the building immediately. Right now. Do you understand?"

Bruce doesn't get the immediate reply that he wanted but he could hear Jack in the background encouraging people to leave. He sounded calm which Bruce knew was essential. The last thing they needed was mass hysteria.

_Like that was even remotely avoidable at this point._

"Jack?" Bruce called out, but the man doesn't respond. Eventually, Bruce hung up the phone and continued to his building. He was driving recklessly, dangerously but it wasn't something that he wasn't used to. He hailed from Gotham, after all. His nighttime activities sometimes required it.

Buildings started falling from the sky, and he pressed a little harder on the gas knowing he needed the speed. He drove until he saw a group of people blocking the street. They were all looking at something, and he furrowed his brow trying to see what it was. Eventually, he stepped out of the car and looked up at the sky, at the alien aircraft that was attacking the city. He saw someone unsuccessfully try to attack it.

_Another needless death._

He remembered his purpose and started to run through the streets of Metropolis. He wasn't that far from WE. When he could see the building, he pulled out his phone and called Jack again but was unable to get through. The building, WE, then collapsed right before his eyes, and he felt his heart lurch, but he continued to run forward.

The smoke from the collapse blinded him. The dirty air filled his lungs, and he choked on the dust, but he couldn't stop. He _wouldn't._

The air started to clear. Slowly, but surely he was able to make out a few people, an animal.

"Mr. Wayne!" At the call, Bruce ran forward and saw a man whose legs were pinned down by a beam. He tried to reassure him as he called for help and mentally took note of the man's name knowing he would need his support in the future and Bruce would willingly give it. Help arrived, and Bruce lifted the beam that pinned the man's legs, and they pulled him free.

After, Bruce saw her. She moved, and it drew his attention to her striking hair. The woman was looking up, presumably at the spacecraft like most people were drawn to. Bruce saw the debris that surrounded her about to fall at the same time she does. She made a move to run, and Bruce didn't realize his feet were already moving toward her. She didn't get a chance to get out of the way. Another piece of debris fell and hit her on the head before the opportunity had arisen and Bruce barely managed to drag her body out of the way in time. She was dazed, and her brow furrowed as she focused on his face. Tears filled her eyes and Bruce hastily assured her.

"You're ok. You'll be ok."

Brokenly she whispered, "Where am I?"

More destruction reigned above them and both Bruce and the woman's eyes were drawn to the aliens battling in the sky.

* * *

_Ten months later:_

It was cold. It always was in Bruce's lair, and yet that day it seemed worse. Sakura forced away the shiver that wanted to make its way down her spine and inched closer to the man who was watching for the millionth time the footage from Black Zero. He studied it religiously looking for weakness in the Kryptonian that had caused so many deaths. Sakura had watched him do this many times, and she never questioned him on it, but she had finally figured it out.

"Bruce, you're never going to find a way to defeat him like this." She tried to be gentle as she said it but she knew that this was a weak point for him, so the explosion was mostly expected.

He let out a growl of frustration before he turned and looked at her. "You think I don't know that? You think I haven't been racking my brain for _months _trying to figure this out?"

"I know you have. It's just that I'm proposing an alternative."

Bruce blinked not expecting those words to come out of her mouth. She could tell that he wasn't used to having help in a form that wasn't Alfred. He was used to doing it all on his own. He shouldn't have to be. "You have an idea." Sakura nodded her head and drew closer to Bruce. She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed tightly.

"You know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."

Sakura wasn't concerned that he would misconstrue her words—especially after he waved them off. "I don't need your gratitude Sakura."

"You have it anyway. You took me in. You have me a home." Sakura doesn't mention it, but he doesn't look at her the way he does Superman. Like something that needs to be eliminated, like an enemy. She liked to think that he trusted her a bit—especially since he let her know who he was.

The Batman.

"You had nowhere to go, and I had room. It's not that big of a deal."

"You didn't know me, Bruce. It _is_ a big deal." Bruce sighed and folded his arms across his chest waiting for Sakura to finish. "The best way to find the information that you need is infiltration."

"He could be anywhere in the world Sakura. How can we possibly infiltrate?"

"He's in Metropolis more often than not, and you know it. He does save people all around the world, but you hear about him the most there."

"And how the hell am I supposed to approach him?" Sakura took a moment to think about how a meeting with Bruce Wayne and Superman would go. She almost chuckled at that disaster waiting to happen.

"You don't. You're too noticeable. He won't want to be seen with you. I, on the other hand, have a chance."

Before Sakura can finish her statement, Bruce shook his head. "If he finds out what you're up to he could kill you."

Bruce had a protective streak a mile wide. He knew her whole life story. He knew what she could do and yet he insisted upon treating her like she was a newborn babe fresh out the womb. It was as cute as it was exasperating. "I can protect myself."

"You were there Sakura. You saw what he could he do. I'm not letting you go traipsing off to Metropolis to die."

"It's not my first time doing this sort of thing Bruce. I can do this. For you, I will do this. Just…please."

The two sat in silence for a long moment before Bruce extended a finger in Sakura's direction. "You will tell me everything that you plan to do in explicit detail. You will update me regularly and so help me God Sakura, if you need help you'd better ask for it."

Sakura nodded before she began to explain how she planned to find Superman and eventually seduce him.


End file.
